Elon Musk’s SpaceX company is making big moves in Texas. The area where SpaceX operates on the southern tip of the state is now officially a city called Starbase. Residents approved incorporating the land as a new municipality in an election on Saturday.
Most of the 283 eligible voters are SpaceX employees. Results show 212 votes in favor versus six opposed. The new city covers about 1.6 sq miles (3.9 sq. km), an area that was sparsely populated before SpaceX began buying land in 2012.
The city’s government will have a mayor and two commissioners. They will have power over planning, taxation, and other local issues. However, some nearby residents have opposed the measure.
They accuse the company of harming the local environment. Since SpaceX started buying land in the area, company housing and facilities have sprouted up. Musk has also established a residence there.
His influence can be seen in local landmarks, such as a road named Memes Street and a giant bust of Musk himself, which was recently vandalized. Around 500 people are estimated to live nearby. The incorporation as a city was long rumored before a petition submitted in December 2024 paved the way for Saturday’s vote.
The first mayor of Starbase will be Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice-president.
Starbase becomes a new municipality
Peden ran unopposed, as did two other residents with SpaceX ties who will fill the commissioner seats.
Starbase will be designated as a Type C city, a category for fewer than 5,000 people. This will allow officials to levy a property tax of up to 1.5%. A bill currently moving through the Texas legislature could will enable the city’s officials to close a local highway and limit access to nearby beaches and a state park during rocket launches and other company activities.
Environmental activists have voiced concerns that SpaceX’s operations have adversely affected the area. The vote result could set up conflicts between county officials and Starbase over access to the beach. SpaceX looks to increase the number of launches at its Texas site from five to 25 per year.
The top official in Cameron County opposes the state bill allowing Starbase control over closures. Musk has moved many of his operations and corporate headquarters from California to Texas in recent years. He cites more favorable regulation and his opposition to California’s Democratic Party-dominated politics.
Environmental groups have criticized SpaceX’s impact on nearby wildlife. They cite increased light pollution and debris from rocket launches. In 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality fined SpaceX nearly $150,000 for dumping wastewater.
The company has called the fines the result of “disagreements over paperwork” and maintains that it follows environmental laws. This development marks a significant milestone for Elon Musk’s growing footprint in Texas. It reflects both the support and opposition that his ambitious projects tend to attract.
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